Patent and trademark applicants may ask for reinstatement if failing to comply within a statutory ti

As the title of this article suggests, if the delay of a statutory time period is caused by natural calamity or other causes not attributable to the applicant, according to Article 17 of the Patent Act and Article 12 of the Enforcement Rules of the Patent Act, or Article 8 of the Trademark Act and Article 9 of the Enforcement Rules of the Trademark Act, the applicant may file a request for reinstatement.

Any patent or trademark applicant who fails to comply within a statutory time period due to the COVID-19 may file a request for reinstatement accompanied by the documents of proof. In principle, such cases will be determined leniently on a case-by-case basis.